Parents supporting kids over 21 and older

A large number of British parents are still providing financial support to their children after the age of 21.

Despite being classed as an adult at the age of 21, many are still turning to the bank of mum and dad for financial support.

Recent research has found that more than 4.4 million adults in the UK receive some form of financial support from their parents.

Mark Jones, a finance expert, commented: "Bringing up a child is expensive and for millions the cost doesn't stop when your child turns 21. In fact, the bank of mum and dad continues to foot the bill well into adulthood.”

The findings reveal that British parents are contributing an average of £175 per month or £2,103 a year to each adult child’s living costs, which includes rent and bills.

As well as supporting the costs of daily life, a number of parents are forking out a further £9,476, on average, per child on expensive milestones over their child’s lifetime, including weddings, further education and getting on the property ladder.

Jones added: "Young people are leaving university with large debts, youth unemployment is high and property is unaffordable for many.

“Many parents won't have considered how their kids would continue to cope if they could no longer support them financially.”

It seems a large proportion of the parent population are expecting to fund their children well into their child’s adulthood as it is predicted adult children will not be financially independent until they are 38 years old.

Currently 1.6 million adult children are living at home, and of these more than half (56%) are in their twenties, a third (29%) are in their thirties and one in ten (12%) are over 40.

Parents feeling the strain of supporting their child should encourage them to save into a bank account when possible.